Sandals and a Stick: A Warm Challenge

I fear I have “bitten off more than I can chew”. That common metaphor has never been truer than today.

You might be aware that ‘it’s that time of year’, I recently waged a small internal battle to determine my 2025 Word of the Year. I won’t know about the results of this ‘war’ until “it’s that time of year”, next year. I know - you can hardly wait.

This is the 12th year I have taken part in this annual discipline. Looking over the words and phrases from the past, one might lean toward discouragement – one like me, for instance. You’d think by now, after spending a year with each of these words/phrases, I might be extensively improved. But I think, well OK, I’ll be honest, I know I am not the new and improved version I seek to be.

In my defense, I will say that the result of this annual exercise has increased my self-awareness. That, in itself, is progress. Is progress enough?

I have found that this yearly procedure has become two-fold. First there is the determination of a word/phrase for this upcoming year. Additionally, this task requires a moment (or two) of reflection of past decisions. Here’s what I looked at on January 1.

2014: Sequence (Ones and Zeros)
2015: Reliance (Trust)
2016: Enough
2017: Seek
2018: Shema (Listen – be aware - Act)
2019: Deeper (Go Deeper)
2020: Someone Is Missing
2021: East
2022: Millimeters Matter
2023: The Red Dragon Is Afraid!
2024: Hope Liberates

2025: Warm

Yes, that referenced battle was won by the word “warm”. You’re going to wonder why these 4 letters conquered any other options. They seem mundane. They’re too simple, you might assume. What kind of goal is – warm?

Next, you will wonder why I spoke of my bite/chewing apprehensions as a lead line. Well, it all started with this one-sentence quote.

“The world talks about being cool. Jesus talks about being warm.” (Anonymous)

Try looking up definitions for the word cool. Then combine that with research about how generational and colloquial inferences might be intertwined – or disjointed. You might even see what the Urban Dictionary has to say about it.

I found that ‘being cool’ is not the bad side of a warm/cool coin flip. Being cool is well, cool – usually. I’m learning that my 2025 word is not the opposite of cool, but warmness is something Jesus displayed while walking our earth. That makes it desirable for me to try being ‘warmer’.

Discovery continued with a search for “warm personality.” As with “cool”, I explored the same resources mentioned above. Here’s a list of synonyms: Affable, affectionate, amiable, approachable, benevolent, caring, cheerful, confident, compassionate, congenial, convivial, easygoing, empathetic, enthusiastic, friendly, gentle, good-natured, gracious, generous, kind, loving, sociable, sympathetic, and thoughtful.

You might now understand the ‘more than I can chew’ reference. All those synonyms for one little word have overwhelmed me. And, more than ever, this will be a difficult year while I prayerfully hope that even ‘progress’ is not elusive!

After I calmed down, two things came to mind when trying to map a path for this year.

In 2017, I posted an article called “I See You!” I remembered a reference to “Salibonani” (and yes, I remembered the word itself). I was told that a rough translation from the Ndebele people of Zimbabwe would be, “I see you” which is then answered with, “Sikhona.” (I am here to be seen.)
I remembered the woman who was accused of adultery in John 8. Jesus was asked about the punishment that should be implemented. You’ll remember the response as he wrote something in the sand as, “Let the one who has never sinned cast the first stone.”

In the second case, Jesus reflected many of those synonyms. Going forward, finding other stories that show the warm Jesus will be good.

In the first case, I will rekindle my desire to “see others” with more than a glancing gaze. I think I have no chance of being warmer (including any/all of the above synonyms) if I don’t first SEE people.